A thermocouple is a temperature sensing device that measures the temperature of the medium in which it is immersed. For example, a thermocouple may be used to measure the temperature of a flowing gas stream of a jet engine for safety and control purposes. In such an application, the thermocouple is exposed to an extremely hostile environment in terms of temperature and vibration. Contemporary thermocouple temperature sensors for a jet engine environment include a sensing element having an integrally formed helical spring to provide seating force of the sensor against the internal engine case. The design and manufacture of integrally forming the helical spring with the sensing element is complex and costly by nature.